List of island countries

An island is a landmass (smaller than a continent) that is surrounded by water.

The list also includes two states in free association with New Zealand, the Cook Islands and Niue, as well as two states with limited diplomatic recognition which have de facto control over territories entirely on the islands, Northern Cyprus and Taiwan.

[2] In total, 50 island countries have been included in the lists.

Puerto Rico in the Caribbean Sea is officially an unincorporated territory of the United States.

South America has only one independent sovereign island nation with Trinidad and Tobago; though considered a Caribbean island country, it is located on the northern portion of the South American continental shelf just 11 kilometres (6 nautical miles) off Venezuela, but 130 kilometres (70 nautical miles) from Grenada, the nearest of the Antilles.

Map depicts sovereign states and a de facto state ( Taiwan ) (tw) fully located on islands: those with land borders shaded green, and those without shaded dark blue.

Countries/territories not shown on the map: Antarctica (aq) ( continental disputed territory ), Australia (au) ( continental country), the Cook Islands (ck) and Niue (nu) ( free association with New Zealand ), Greenland (gl) ( constituent country of the Kingdom of Denmark ), Northern Cyprus (ct.tr and nc.tr) (unrecognized country), and Puerto Rico (pr) ( unincorporated U.S. territory ).